The Test-Optional Discussion
This week, while I was up in the Lowell, MA area visiting high schools, I had a student ask me the same question multiple times. The conversation went something like this:
Student: "I was on campus for an information session this summer, and the counselor was talking about how PC is SAT-optional. How can that be? Are you really?"
Me: "We are. PC announced in the summer of 2006 that we are a test-optional institution. To put it simply, we have always felt that a student's four-year high school performance (measured by the combination of curriculum and GPA) is a much better indicator of success in our classrooms at PC than a standardized test score."
Student: "Yeah, that's what the counselor said at the info session. But... really??"
Me: "Really."
It's true, SAT and ACT scores are really optional in the PC application review process. And when we officially became a test-optional institution two years ago, it didn't change the way we reviewed applications in the Office of Admission one bit. Test scores have never driven the admission process at PC, and therefore, being test-optional was the right decision for us as an institution. In our comprehensive, thorough, and holistic review process, every student's application will be read multiple times by multiple counselors. So, we're not using any sort of numerical cutoffs or GPA/SAT grid to make our decisions. Above all else, it is a human review process, where admission decisions are made by admission counselors, not a computer-generated formula.
Let's go back to that high school visit, to the real question the student was asking:
Student: "So, should I submit my SAT scores, or not?"
That is a decision that is up to each individual student, a question you have to answer on your own. But let me say this - regardless of whether or not you choose to submit your SAT/ACT scores, your high school academic performance (that combination of curriculum and GPA) will be the most important factor in our admission review process. The best advice I can give you about submitting your test scores is this: If you feel that your SAT/ACT scores are an accurate representation of your academic ability, and back up your high school academic performance, feel free to send them in. If, however, you feel that your test scores are not representative, feel free not to submit them. Either way, test scores are not a "make or break factor" in the Providence College admission process.
I hope this entry helps to answer some of your questions about our test-optional policy. If it has generated additional questions, that's great too - please post them in the "Comments" section of this blog so other students and families can see the questions and answers.
*Scott
Lowell, MA
